CVE-2026-102300 Overview
CVE-2026-102300 is an uninitialized resource vulnerability in the WebGPU component of Google Chrome. Versions prior to 154.0.8037.92 are affected. A remote attacker can craft a malicious HTML page to read cross-origin data from a targeted browser session. The flaw is classified under CWE-908: Use of Uninitialized Resource. Chromium's internal severity rating for this issue is High, though the NVD-assigned CVSS score reflects lower confidentiality impact and user interaction requirements.
Critical Impact
A crafted web page can leverage uninitialized WebGPU resources to obtain data across security origins, bypassing browser same-origin protections.
Affected Products
- Google Chrome versions prior to 154.0.8037.92
- Chromium-based browsers incorporating vulnerable WebGPU implementation
- Desktop platforms shipping the Chrome Stable channel
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-09-29 - CVE-2026-102300 published to NVD
- 2026-09-29 - Last updated in NVD database
- Referenced in the Google Chrome Stable Update announcement and Chromium Issue Tracker #560062638
Technical Details for CVE-2026-102300
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in Chrome's WebGPU implementation, a browser API that exposes GPU compute and rendering capabilities to web content. WebGPU manages graphics buffers, textures, and command queues that must be initialized before use. When a resource is allocated but not zero-filled or otherwise initialized, residual data from prior allocations remains accessible. An attacker can read this residual data through GPU operations exposed to JavaScript. Because GPU memory can hold contents from other browser processes, tabs, or origins, this creates a cross-origin data disclosure primitive that bypasses the same-origin policy enforced elsewhere in the browser.
Root Cause
The root cause is [CWE-908: Use of Uninitialized Resource]. WebGPU code paths return buffer or texture memory to script contexts without ensuring the underlying GPU allocation is cleared. Attacker-controlled shaders or read operations can then sample bytes left over from prior use of that GPU memory region.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires the victim to visit a crafted HTML page in a vulnerable Chrome build. The attacker's page allocates WebGPU resources, invokes read or copy operations on them before writing, and exfiltrates the recovered bytes back to attacker-controlled infrastructure. No authentication is required, but user interaction (visiting the page) is necessary. The disclosed data may include image content, texture data, or memory fragments from other web origins that recently used the GPU.
No public proof-of-concept code is available. Technical details are tracked in Chromium Issue #560062638, which remains restricted at time of publication.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-102300
Indicators of Compromise
- Chrome browser processes running builds earlier than 154.0.8037.92 after the patch release date
- Outbound connections from browser processes to unfamiliar domains immediately following visits to untrusted sites
- Web pages that heavily exercise WebGPU APIs (GPUBuffer, GPUTexture, mapAsync) without a legitimate rendering purpose
Detection Strategies
- Inventory installed Chrome versions across the fleet and flag any endpoint running a build earlier than 154.0.8037.92
- Monitor browser telemetry and endpoint process metadata for Chromium-based applications that lag the current Stable channel
- Correlate web proxy logs with GPU-heavy or graphics-intensive requests from newly visited domains
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable enterprise browser reporting to track Chrome version compliance across managed endpoints
- Alert on child processes spawned by outdated Chrome installations that perform unusual network egress
- Integrate browser version telemetry into your SIEM to trigger detections when unpatched builds remain in production
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-102300
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Google Chrome to version 154.0.8037.92 or later on all managed endpoints
- Restart Chrome after the update to ensure the patched binaries are loaded
- Verify that Chromium-derived browsers (Edge, Brave, Opera) have incorporated the upstream fix
Patch Information
Google released the fix in the Chrome Stable channel as documented in the Chrome Releases blog. The patched version is 154.0.8037.92. Enterprise administrators should push the update through Chrome Browser Cloud Management, Group Policy, or their existing endpoint management tooling.
Workarounds
- Disable WebGPU via the chrome://flags/#enable-unsafe-webgpu flag or enterprise policy where the feature is not required
- Restrict browsing to trusted sites through URL filtering until the patch is deployed
- Enforce Chrome auto-update policies to prevent users from deferring the security release
# Chrome enterprise policy example (Windows Registry) to disable WebGPU
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v "WebGPUEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
# Verify installed Chrome version on Linux/macOS
google-chrome --version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
